Other independent school · independent

Dean Close School

Mixed · ages 12–19 · with sixth form · Church of England/EvangelicalGloucestershire, South West · Cheltenham GL51 6HE
Pupils on roll
488of 535 places
Free school meals
Year 11 cohort 2025
115
Ofsted
Not covered by Ofsted school inspections
What the data says

The Department for Education has not published where Dean Close School’s Year 11 leavers went next (destination measures are not published for independent schools), so this page relies on the school’s results and subjects.

Fine Art is unusually popular at GCSE: 27% of the year group took it, against 9% of pupils across England.

A level grades average B, above the England average of B-. The largest A level subjects are Mathematics, Business Studies and Biology.

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Gloucestershire and England.

The Department for Education has not published destination figures for this school (new school, small cohort or not a state-funded school).

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.

GCSE results 2025

MeasureDean Close SchoolGloucestershireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)29.450.346.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths0%53%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths0%71%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects0%31%41%
EBacc average point score2.654.404.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort19%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils34.634.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils54.050.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language9%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
Combined Science5750%65%21%9%89%
Business Studies5649%18%21%20%75%
Physics5144%23%49%46%100%
Chemistry5144%23%43%47%100%
Biology5144%23%55%45%100%
Spanish4842%19%38%27%88%
French3833%18%53%29%84%
Fine Art3127%9%81%28%100%
Physical Education2925%11%17%24%93%
Food Preparation and Nutrition2320%8%52%21%91%
Classical Civilisation2219%1%32%40%86%
Music1110%5%82%33%100%
Religious Studies109%31%90%32%100%
Latin65%1%83%74%100%
Russian43%0%87%
Classical Greek22%0%92%
Polish11%1%84%
Japanese11%0%53%
Italian11%0%53%
German11%5%33%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Music performance: Group55%
Music performance: Group33%
Music performance: Group11%
Mathematics11%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureDean Close SchoolGloucestershireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study214
— of whom A level students974,019261,341
Average A level gradeBB-B-
Average points per A level entry38.4336.2835.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-B-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects23%20%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematics3940%31%
Business Studies2122%13%
Biology2122%20%
Geography1920%10%
Chemistry1616%17%
Physics1515%12%
Physical Education1414%3%
English Literature1313%11%
Politics1111%6%
History1010%13%
Sociology88%13%
Product Design88%2%
Fine Art88%3%
Economics77%13%
Psychology77%23%
Media Studies77%4%
Chinese77%0%
Photography66%3%
Spanish2%
Drama2%
Computer Science5%
Classical Civilisation1%
French1%
Latin0%
Further Mathematics5%
Music0%
Religious Studies4%
Russian0%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)3536%
FrenchGCE AS level (All)
FrenchGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)

Other secondary schools in Gloucestershire

Archway School

Community school · sixth form · 1,053 pupils

84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.3

Balcarras School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,427 pupils

92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 58.5

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.